The Great Northern Hotel — Restaurant in Sydney

MAKE THIS and name it after me

1/2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic , minced

1 brown onion , small, finely chopped

1 celery stalk , finely chopped

5 oz / 150g bacon , finely minced (streaky and fatty, not the lean stuff!)

2 tsp fennel seeds , toasted (optional) (Note 1)

1 lb / 500g pork mince (ground pork) (not lean)

3/4 cup / 40g panko breadcrumbs (Note 2)

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

Black pepper

Baking & Serving

2 1/2 sheets puff pastry , thawed then each cut into half (Note 3)

1 egg , lightly whisked

•Ketchup / tomato sauce

Instructions

Heat oil in a non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Sauté garlic, onion & celery for 2 minutes, then add bacon.

Cook for a further 2 minutes (don't make bacon golden) then transfer to bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Add remaining Filling ingredients into the bowl. Use your hands to mix well.

Lay out a rectangle of pastry, long edge closest to you. Brush egg along one long edge.

Get 1/5 th of the filling and shape into a long log shape down the middle of the pastry. Ensure the meat is tight and compact, without gaps.

Brush edge of pastry with egg. Then roll up, finishing with the seam side down.

Roll up, sealing on the edge with egg wash on it .

If you have time/patience, refrigerate for 1 hour (makes it easier/neater to cut

To Cook

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.

Cut each log into four equal lengths, or just two if you want full size sausage rolls. Brush with egg.

Place on 2 baking trays lined with baking paper (or sprayed with oil). Bake for 30 - 35 minutes in total, swapping tray shelves at 20 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden brown. (Note: The filling will still look pink because of the bacon, but it's easy to tell from texture that it's cooked)

Cool slightly on trays. Serve hot or warm with tomato sauce or ketchup!

Recipe Notes:

Toasted fennel seeds (optional) - heat small fry pan over medium heat. Add fennel. Shake pan and toast for 1 - 2 minutes, until you can smell the fragrance of the fennel seeds.

See summary above for background on fennel seeds. If you're wary, decrease to 1/2 teaspoon. Or skip it entirely!

Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese breadcrumbs which are larger than normal ones. For crumbed/breaded things, it makes them even crunchier. For fillings, they make the filling less dense, more moist. You can find them in the Asian section of most supermarkets in Australia nowadays (see here for Woolworths) and even alongside normal breadcrumbs.

You can substitute for normal breadcrumbs, but reduce the quantity to 1/2 cup otherwise the filling won't be as moist.

Puff pastry in Australia comes in sheets that are 25 x 25cm / 10 x 10" squares. Cut them in half so you have five 25 x 12.5cm / 10 x 5" rectangles.

To make ahead: Best assembled, cut, then frozen or refrigerated unbaked. Place in an airtight container in single layers with baking paper between each layer. Brush with egg wash just before baking (optional - could just spray with oil, helps make it golden). Bake from frozen for 40 minutes, or from fridge per recipe.

It is perfectly safe to thaw then refreeze puff pastry, it is not like meat. If you want the absolute best results, use a puff pastry made with a combination of butter and oil/shortening because it will puff up better after thawing. But the difference is negligible. Another great tip I learnt from cook's illstrated!

Nutrition per sausage roll. If you use low fat / turkey bacon, it reduces to 205 calories. If you use "light" puff pastry, it reduces to...

From the time I ordered my meal the young lady behind the bar had attitude. I asked for 2 main garlic pasta prawn meals nicely, I then asked for some garlic bread nicely, the response was 'NO" we don't do garlic bread, well ok I said. I then asked do you have any bread at all 'NO" the response with attitude and a half again. I then ordered a entree salt and pepper squid and said thank you and paid for the 3 dishes, my buzzer was handed to me very quickly. My mate standing next to me the whole time asked for 2 waters please, the reply with attitude again was there is water and glasses around the corner my mate and I just looked at each other with shock. The funny thing is my mate teachers the RSA courses for a living. Waiting for our meals we spoke about the young ladies attitude and the buzzer went off and I went to collect our meals only one main was ordered by that lovely young lady, when questioned about it she couldn't care less. I ate the entree whilst my mate ate his main and took my main meal when it was finally cooked home for take away. The food was great however the service was disgusting...

I recently visited Great Northern and had a disappointing experience that I feel compelled to share — even if I know it probably won’t change anything.

Just before closing, I was told I had two minutes to place my last order. Fair enough. I actually ordered a few minutes later, and the bartender still served me without any objection. But not long after, the manager came over and very bluntly said I had “two minutes to finish” my drinks.

When I politely asked if I could take one away, I was met with an unnecessarily rude and dismissive attitude. I completely understand if rules are rules — but the way they’re communicated makes all the difference. I had just spent $12, and rather than being treated with basic courtesy, I felt rushed, disrespected, and unwelcome.

To be honest, I’m not writing this review thinking anything will change. But sometimes you just want to share your experience for what it was — and mine, unfortunately, left a bad taste.

Great customer service isn’t just about the drinks. It’s about how people are treated. And this time, it...